Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Guided by outfitter Tom Wilson, Major A. B. Rogers (for whom Rogers Pass to the
west is named) surveyed Kicking Horse Pass in 1881. His favorable report to the Canadian
Pacific Railway (CPR) led to this route being chosen for the much-awaited transcontinent-
al railway. The railbed was laid in 1884, and its grade was terribly steep; the first train to
attempt the run suffered a brake failure and derailed, killing three workers. In 1909, after
dozens more wrecks and derailments, the CPR rerouted the steepest section of the line
through the Spiral Tunnels. The highway now follows the original rail grade.
The small township of Field started as a railway maintenance depot at the bottom of
treacherous Big Hill. In 1886 the CPR opened Mount Stephen House in Field, both to en-
courage visitors to this side of the mountains and as a dining stop for customers of the rail-
way. The CPR then built lodges at several natural attractions in the area, including Emer-
ald Lake Lodge in 1902, Lake O'Hara Lodge in 1913, and Wapta Lodge Bungalow
Camp in 1921.
As in adjacent Banff, the coming of the railway was a prime catalyst in the formation of
Yoho National Park. Upon the opening of the railway line in 1886, 2,600 hectares (6,425
acres) of land around the base of Mount Stephen were set aside as Mount Stephen Park
Reserve, Canada's second national park. In 1901 the reserve was expanded, and after three
further boundary changes, the park of today came into being in 1930. Mining of lead, zinc,
and silver continued until 1952, and today remnants of the Monarch and Kicking Horse
Mines can still be seen on the faces of Mount Stephen and Mount Field, respectively.
Sights and Recreation
ROAD-ACCESSIBLE SIGHTS
As with all other parks of the Canadian Rockies, you don't need to travel deep into the
backcountry to view the most spectacular features—many are visible from the roadside.
The following sights are listed from east to west, starting at the park boundary (the
Continental Divide).
Spiral Tunnel Viewpoint
The joy CPR president William Van Horne felt upon completion of his transcontinental
rail line in 1886 was tempered by massive problems along a stretch of line west of Kicking
Horse Pass. Big Hill was less than five kilometers (3.1 miles) long, but its gradient was so
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search